Rap Video, Flasy Social Media Post Lead to Arrests of Alleged Woo Gang Members for $24 Million Dollar Fraud

Photos courtesy U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

It has been a tough month for drill rappers.

First rising star and 18-year-old drill rapper Jayquan McKenley, aka Chii Wvttz, was gunned down in his parked car in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Feb. 6, while leaving an Airbnb.

Bronx Drill Rapper Chii Wvttz passes away. RIP to the talented artist. Fly High 🕊 2003-2022 pic.twitter.com/AGRfzCYasD

— Rapfest (@RapfestDaily) February 6, 2022

On the heels of that tragedy, New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged social media firms to ban the artform’s videos from their platforms. Drill rap often refers to killing or doing a hit and Adams said the clips glorify and promote violence.

Adams eventually changed his tune following a meeting with several prominent drill rappers on Tuesday and clarified that he did not want to ban drill rap but promised he would have something coming in alignment with the artists to help.

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“I don’t know if you saw the picture, but for the first time in my life, I looked cool, hanging out with all of them – and it was very interesting,” said Adams of the meeting in City Hall.

“Because, I don’t know who said it, but they said, ‘We heard you said you were going to ban drill rapping.' I did not say that. I was very clear in what I stated."

He added, “We’re going to roll out something together.”

One of the genre’s most established cliques is facing massive amounts of prison time over a scam the government alleges defrauded it of $4.3 million by submitting false claims for unemployment insurance and attempting to use over 800 stolen identities to try and get another $20 million.

In all, 11 members and associates of the Brooklyn-based Woo gang have been charged with the multi-million-dollar COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud. Their penchant for making and distributing drill music played a significant part in their downfall.

Last year a video named “Trappin’” was uploaded to YouTube. The lyrics — with verses like “It was me and Porter, we was huggin’ the block. Unemployment got us workin’ a lot." — include details of the scheme, which ran from the beginning of the pandemic until October of 2021, according to prosecutors and it features five of the 11 gang members and associates charged this week.

“As alleged, the defendants conspired to steal millions of dollars in pandemic-related unemployment assistance and then brazenly flaunted the proceeds of their crimes on social media,” Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.

“These government programs are designed to provide financial assistance to those who are most in need during an unprecedented pandemic. This Office and its law enforcement partners will vigorously prosecute gang members and anyone else who exploits the pandemic and steals from taxpayer-funded programs."

The arrests came just hours before the body of alleged Woo member and rising rap star TDott Woo was scheduled to be borne in a white horse-drawn carriage past his Brooklyn home. The rapper was shot to death outside his residence on Feb. 1, the day he signed a potentially lucrative recording contract with Million Dollar Music.

This is far from the first brush with tragedy for the alleged gang or its members.

Pop Smoke, a Brooklyn-born rapper affiliated with Woo who popularized it, was shot and killed by masked gunmen during a home invasion at a Hollywood Hills mansion. His posthumous hit single, “The Woo,” was released that July.

Below is a full list of the defendants:

ROMEAN BROWN
Age: 23
Los Angeles, California


TYREK CLARKE
Age: 21
Miami, Florida


KENNITH DESIR
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New York


STEPHAN DORMINVIL
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New York


KAI HEYWARD
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New York


KEITH JAMES
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New York


ONEAL MARKS
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New York


JAHRIAH OLIVIERRE
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New York


CHRISTOPHER JEAN PIERRE
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New York


ROLEEKE SMITH
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New York


CHRISTOPHER TOPEY
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New York

Legendary Drummer Howard Grimes Dead at 80

Howard Grimes in the 1970s. 

Drummer Known as 'The Bulldog,' Recorded Iconic Tracks With Al Green, Ann Peebles and Others

One of the architects of Memphis soul music and the man responsible for the driving beats tying together some of the rhythms behind some of R&B’s greatest artists, Howard Grimes, is dead at 80.

Known affectionately as “The Bulldog” for his persistence and precision behind the drum kit, Grimes death of kidney failure at Memphis, Tennessee’s St. Francis Hospital Saturday (Feb. 12), was confirmed by publicist Nick Loss-Eaton, whose firm did the public relations campaign for the artist's 2021 autobiography “Timekeeper.”

“Heartbroken to confirm the passing of Memphis soul drum legend Howard Grimes (8/11/41-2/12/22),” wrote Loss-Eaton, “a true gentleman and my favorite drummer ever.”

Heartbroken to confirm the passing of Memphis soul drum legend Howard Grimes (8/11/41-2/12/22), a true gentleman and my favorite drummer ever.

I am grateful to have worked PR on his 2021 autobiography Timekeeper. For press who need info, footage, etc.: https://t.co/AVBQscJchw

— nick loss-eaton (@harmonicaboy) February 13, 2022

His bandmate in The Bo-Keys, Scott Bomar, also confirmed the death. Speaking to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, which reported the musician had been in and out of the hospital since January, Bomar said Grimes was at peace before he passed. “I think what Howard would want people to know about him was that his relationship with his creator, his spiritually, was the most important thing in his life. The second was Memphis music,” Bomar said.

Born in Memphis in 1941, Grimes career as a drummer touched seven decades. As a member of the renowned Hi Rhythm Section — essentially an all-star house band for some of the greatest soul acts of the 1970s for Memphis’ Hi Records — he set the pace for albums by Al Green, Ann Peebles and Rufus Thomas amongst others.

Megan Thee Stallion Launches Charity Honoring Parents to Celebrate 27th Birthday

Hip-hop diva, Popeyes Franchisee and recent college graduate Megan Thee Stallion celebrated her 27th
birthday Tuesday with a gift to underserved communities across the globe.

The Houston native launched the Pete and Thomas Foundation in her hometown, a non-profit organization supporting charitable programs in the city and beyond. It honors the memory of its namesake's, her father, Joseph Pete Jr., and her mother, Holly Thomas.

“In celebration of my birthday, I’m honored to introduce the Pete and Thomas Foundation. @PeteThomasFDN is a non-profit organization focused on uplifting and assisting women, children, senior citizens and underserved communities in Houston, Texas and across the world,” she wrote in an Instagram post announcing the endeavor.

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The "Savage" rapper added in a press release, "Launching the Pete and Thomas Foundation is easily one of the most significant endeavors that I'll ever be part of in my career. My family raised me to help others and give back, so I'm incredibly proud to be in a position to accomplish that goal. I have a responsibility to use my platform to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who may not have access to resources and support services."

According to its website the organization will focus on awarding scholarships and student resources, addressing housing issues for senior citizens, single mothers and families in need, and providing health and wellness care.